Marine Corps Logistics Command

Logistics Solutions for the Warfighter

The origins of Marine Corps Logistics Command can be traced back to a canvas tent on the grounds of the Philadelphia Naval base that served as a Marine Corps supply depot 1798.

In 1804, the depot was assigned a function that was to become one of its main tasks for the next 158 years. The Secretary of the Navy designated the depot an “establishment in barracks for the making and mending of clothes” for Marines.

For the next 100 years, clothing manufacturing was carried out in the barracks aboard the Naval Base and in a four-story building in Center City, Philadelphia. Much of the work was contracted out to local tailors, but material was also cut at the depot and distributed to local housewives who made it into uniforms in their own homes.

In 1908, after the completion of a new building on Broad Street and Washington Avenue was completed, the Marine Corps Supply Activity was established. Nine years later, the Activity was confronted with the demands of World War I. Between 1917 and 1918 it outfitted and equipped 36 expeditionary units, including four regiments of 4,000 men each for service in Europe.

World War II witnessed a significant expansion the Supply Activity’s capability and responsibility. Throughout the conflict, more than 6,000 employees worked around the clock making uniforms, tentage and such lumber and metal products as tent poles, lockers and bunks.

After World War II, the activity supported Marines in Korea, Lebanon, the Dominican Republic and Vietnam. During this period, the historic clothing manufacturing function of the activity was transferred to the Defense Personnel Support Center, a Department of Defense agency organized to procure uniforms for all military services. The Supply Activity subsequently shifted its focus to the management of secondary items and repair parts.

In 1952, an installation was established in Albany, Georgia and designated the Marine Corps Depot of Supplies.

Two years later, in 1954, the command was renamed the Marine Corps Supply Center Albany, managing and controlling supplies at storage and issue locations in the eastern half of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean. Depot-level rebuilding operations began this year, as well.

With the deactivation of the Supply Activity in Philadelphia in 1976, the Albany command was redesignated the Marine Corps Logistics Support Base Atlantic, assuming the inventory control, financial management, procurement, and technical support functions formerly performed in Philadelphia.

In 1978, the Marine Corps Supply Center changed its name to Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany. With this, the full spectrum of logistics support functions required to sustain the life cycle of the Marine Corps weapons systems and equipment was performed here.

In 1990, the Commandant of the Marine Corps designated the commanding general at Albany to be the commander of the Marine Corps Logistics Bases also. The reorganization placed control of MCLB Barstow, California, the Blount Island Command at Jacksonville, Florida, and MCLB Albany under a single commander.

1999 saw the establishment of the Headquarters, Marine Corps Materiel Command (MATCOM) aboard Albany, an organization that combined the acquisition and sustainment capabilities to provide the most effect materiel lifecycle management of ground weapon systems.

In 2003, the MATCOM headquarters was merged with the Albany Base headquarters to establish Marine Corps Logistics Command.

Ten years later, Marine Corps Logistics Command executes its global mission with a clear and precise objective: to ensure that Marines in harm’s way have every measure of logistical support to accomplish their mission.